Exploration of Drug Delivery Methods
by MusicMaven09
Summary: A typical week at Greendale grows dark when Annie Edison has a very public meltdown after a drug overdose. What could have caused this turn of events and how will it affect the study group?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Community. Duh doy.

A/N: This is the first fan fiction I have written in years, so I want to thank crittab for beta-ing this story for me and helping me work up the courage to post it. Many thanks to robert3A-SN who graciously allowed me to borrow from "Not That Kind of Annie" which very obviously inspired this story. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Chapter 1

The debate against City College had arrived again, and after having beat Jeremy "Soul Patch" Simmons soundly three years in a row, Greendale was excited for the opportunity to do so once more. As a school with basically nothing outstanding about it, the fact that they could win in this one thing made it a huge draw for the students. The dean had gone all out for it, reminding everyone about the "dean-bate." Jeff shuddered as he remembered too many drunken phone calls where the disturbing man referred to him as "dean bait."

Annie had been diligently preparing for weeks and even Jeff had been moved to do a little work. They knew that Simmons would try to up his game yet again. He had even gone so far as to practice at Greendale, so that he could negate the home field advantage. Jeff and Annie found this incredibly odd (especially as he didn't actually say anything during these "practices," just stood on the stage looking pensive), but they knew that together they were unstoppable. They had both promised themselves to put all existing romantic tension aside to prepare for this debate with unparalleled focus.

"Are you sure this is necessary, Annie?"

"Jeff, Simmons is coming here almost every day now to 'practice'," she exclaimed with air quotes as they walked. "We need to observe him. Even if he's just sitting there, any clue that we can get to his true intentions can help us out in the debate!" Jeff sighed.

"Fine. But if we start making this a regular thing, you're going to have to bring me a coffee too." Annie just smiled and sipped on her mocha, pleased that Jeff was giving in so easily.

"I will," she promised, setting her drink and book bag on the bleacher. She pulled out a notebook and pen (crucial to any reconnaissance mission) and looked across the gym to see Simmons staring straight back at them. His obedient sidekick/lapdog had accompanied him and appeared happy to read a magazine while the strange man did, well, whatever it was he was doing. For a fully thirty minutes, he didn't move, and his unwavering stare was remarkably unnerving.

"Do you think he wanted us to be here so he could psych us out?" Jeff asked.

"I don't know. It could be some sort of Zen focusing technique, but I feel like your explanation is more likely."

"Well then how about we get out of here. Obviously, we're getting nothing out of this and he's unlikely to do anything else as long as we're here. It's about time to meet the group to go over the History paper anyway." She sighed and nodded clutching her notebook, devoid of any actual notes to her chest. "Milady," he asked with an extended hand, shooting her his most charming smile.

"Milord," she replied with a giggle. And so they walked arm in arm from the gym.

"You two look pleased with yourselves," Britta remarked as they entered the study room beaming.

"We just spent half an hour spying on Simmons, and he's got nothing," Jeff said, sliding into his chair.

"Yeah, he tried to play some mind games on us, but we're above that," Annie added, straightening her shoulders. Britta smiled indulgently.

"Well, I'm glad. But you've still got a few days to go before the debate and this history paper is due tomorrow. We need to go over what everyone's got." Annie reached down before a look of frustration crossed her face.

"What's wrong, Annie?" Shirley asked in her sweetest voice.

"I left my bag in the gym. Let me run get it real quick, and I'll be right back. My section's all finished-promise!"

"Okay, just be quick! We need to get a move on!" Jeff shouted after her as she ran out of the room.

She quickly made her way back to the gym and stopped short when she realized what was going on.

"Simmons! Get away from my stuff!" The wheelchair-bound man had his henchman rifling through Annie's bag, no doubt looking for her debate notes.

"You dirty little cheat! I can't believe you!"

"All's fair in love and debate, little Annie," he shot back, not even trying to hide his amusement.

"Ugh! Give me my stuff!" She grabbed her bag out of the lackey's hands and then paused to pick up the coffee she had left as well. "Too bad you're out of luck, Simmons. I don't keep my debate prep in this bag anyway, so I hope you're ready to get your butt kicked!"

"Ooooh, Annie Adderall said she's going to get me! I'm sooooo scared!" His nasal sarcastic tone grated on her nerves almost as much as the use of her old nickname.

"Grow up, Simmons!" She stomped out of the gym muttering almost curses under her breath. By the time she made it back to the study room she had cooled off a little, but was waiting for an appreciative audience for her outrage.

"Simmons was looking through my bag!" She yelled as soon as she entered. Jeff barely looked up from his phone. And the rest of the group was obviously in the middle of some sort of fight, something about the American versus British versions of Inspector Spacetime.

"He what?" Jeff asked.

"I left my bag in the gym where Simmons was 'practicing,'"

"Again with the air quotes?" Jeff interrupted. Annie ignored him.

"And when I went back to get it, he and his _minion_ were going through it looking for my notes for the debate!"

"Did they find any?" Jeff asked nervously. "Because if so—"

"No, I don't bring my notes with me to school, especially not with Simmons lurking about."

"Yeah," Abed said. "She works on them at home most nights. She stays up late studying for the debate and then falls asleep during special movie time," he added with a slight edge. It didn't help Annie's case that his statement was punctuated with her taking a big gulp of her coffee, loud enough to make a distinct chugging noise.

"You're not overdoing it, are you Annie?" Shirley asked concerned.

"No, I promise I'm not. I'm really not getting enough sleep at night, so I am pretty tired most of the time, including special movie time. I'm sorry, Abed, I guess I didn't realize I'd been dozing off so much."

"It's okay, Annie. It's sort of expected for your character to get wrapped up in school work every now and then." They shared a smile as the tension slipped away.

"This has been a crazy week, anyway. The debate and now this paper. I'm perpetually on aspirin just to stave off the stress headaches." As if to demonstrate, she deftly popped off the cap of a bottle of off-brand Excedrin and took two with another swig of coffee. She swallowed with a satisfied sigh, met by a table full of raised eyebrows. "What? I'm not exceeding the maximum recommended dosage!"

"Look, we know you're doing your best, but maybe you should relax a little. Best to take one thing at a time…starting with this paper which is due tomorrow," Jeff interjected. The group seemed to snap to business mode, and Jeff smiled at how for once, he had been the one to get the group back on task.

Despite their best efforts, by the time they were to part ways for the day's classes, the history paper still wasn't finished. Annie, who had perked up considerably after having finished her coffee, proposed that they meet up again that evening. Her suggestion was met with groans, but no one could come up with an alternative.

They met in the cafeteria for a late lunch, but the group was in a collective funk. Abed had received a bad grade on a film project resulting in doubt of his own artistic vision. Troy and Britta had gotten into a heated argument about the supposedly inherent homoeroticism of football and now weren't talking. Shirley had an uncomfortable run in with one of the members of her former study group, and Pierce had sat on his balls (again). Jeff had found a gray hair, and despite her newfound alertness, Annie's headache had come back with a vengeance. To make things worse, no one had an amusing anecdote or minor crisis to lighten the mood.

Fifteen minutes had passed in silence as they picked at their food, when the alarm on Annie's phone shook them out of their introspection. Annoyed as they were by the interruption (especially since the ringtone was from High School Musical, though no one would own up to knowing that), they let it slide.

"Sorry, I set my alarm for when I could take some more aspirin." They nodded lethargically and watched as she absentmindedly washed down another two pills with her Diet Coke. Having sat through quite possibly the most boring lunch ever, they left for their afternoon classes early, almost giving the impression that they actually wanted to be there.

By the time their evening study session rolled around, everyone's moods had improved. Britta and Troy had made up, Abed's project received positive reviews from a different professor, and a very attractive guest lecturer had hit on Jeff. Even Annie, with her persistent headache, seemed to be bouncing off the walls, ready to conquer the history paper. By the time her annoying ringtone struck again, prompting her to take another two pills, the group was in too good of a mood to mind.

The study session progressed much as it always did. Jeff made snarky comments. Britta tried to insert discussions of major social issues into every topic. Troy and Abed, obviously having not moved on from the morning's contentious conversation, sneaked in jibes at the American Inspector Spacetime. Pierce alternated between calling Jeff gay and dozing off. Shirley shared anecdote after anecdote about the cutest thing Ben had done today, and Annie compulsively color coded every line of the relevant chapter of the textbook. It wasn't until halfway through their session that Abed noticed something strange.

"Annie, are you okay?" He asked looking at her strangely. She did seem to have the slightest sheen of perspiration on her forehead and was absentmindedly scratching at her forearm.

"Huh? No, I'm fine, Abed. It's just kind of hot in here don't you think?" She looked around the room for confirmation and found none. Undeterred, she began fanning herself with one of her folders. "Also, I think maybe I accidentally used the wrong detergent," she said as her free hand itched the arm that was fanning her. "I have really sensitive skin, and if I use the wrong kind, kablooey!" she shouted almost manically. "Rashes all over the place." Abed didn't look convinced and her increasingly erratic behavior was garnering more concerned looks. "I mean that has to be what it is right. I mean it is pretty hot in here. You know I'm just going to take this sweater off." She began fumbling with the buttons on her cardigan until, fed up, she ripped it off almost violently, sending buttons flying across the table. She was down to her camisole, exposing much more skin than usual, and even the lavender straps of her bra were visible. Jeff's eyes widened as he reached for her arm.

"Annie, calm down, what's going—her pulse is racing and she's sweating," he said to the group.

"There are a few possibilities." Abed chimed in. "She could be experiencing a panic attack, a severe allergic reaction, hypoglycemia—do we know if Annie is diabetic?"

"Actually," Troy interrupted, his tone unusually serious, "this situation is uncomfortably familiar." It took only a moment before they realized exactly what he was insinuating. Jeff looked physically pained as he processed the possibility.

"Annie, this is very important. Look at me." Her eyes had since begun darting around the room wildly. "Look at me, Annie." He reached out and turned her face to him. "Have you taken anything? Anything maybe to help with debate prep. Even a little? We won't be mad. I promise." He used his most soothing voice as he gently held her hand, rubbing soft circles with his thumb. Even as he tried to calm her he could see her eyes moving more and more frantically, darting about the room as if something was eluding her.

"It's happening again," she whispered as she began to shake. "I can tell. They're coming." She yanked her hands away from Jeff and curled into a ball in her chair. Rocking back and forth, she cried out, "They're coming, and I didn't do anything. I didn't invite them! I promise I didn't!"

"You know, this is the first time she's had any symptoms of Adderall use. She hasn't been extra focused or awake or anything lately. She's been obsessed with school and overworked but no more than usual," Abed said, maintaining his matter-of-fact tone despite the situation.

"How would you know?" Pierce shot back.

"I did research on Adderall addiction and abuse before Annie moved in with us. She may be conventionally attractive, but she's still a recovering addict. It was important to me that I be able to detect the signs of any drug use, just in case. If Troy's right, she's exhibiting signs of an overdose. We need to secure her while someone calls an ambulance."

"On it," Pierce said pulling out his phone. The group split their focus between Annie's mutterings and Pierce's attempt to call 911, most doubtful that he wouldn't end up calling a pizza place or phone sex line by accident instead. When he managed to actually get a dispatcher, they were suitably impressed and relieved that they could return their full attention to Annie, who had stayed in her seat, rocking and mumbling.

"They're coming. They're coming to get me. They're coming to get all of us. We have to hide!" Troy finally leaned over.

"Who's coming Annie? Is it the robots? Don't worry, we'll—"

"I've been locked up again!" She screamed jumping out of her chair. "I'm back there, with the hoses and the grabby orderlies. This is a prison!" Shirley and Troy were both crying, while Britta and Jeff looked on in fear. Pierce seemed equally lost, and Abed just sat watching with wide eyes and the slightest hint of uncertainty. "Let me out!" She ran full tilt at one of the windows, crying and banging on the glass through the blinds. Having heard the story of her last episode, Jeff followed quickly behind her. He crossed the room in long, swift strides but could not reach her before she managed to put her fist through the glass. She drew it back, pulling the shades with it, and watched fascinated as the blood ran down her arm. She reached for the window with her other hand while Jeff pulled her away and still managed to slice it deeply on the jagged edge.

"Come on, Annie, come back to me," he begged her, trying to get her focus.

"I need to get out," she continued murmuring. She found a pencil on the floor next to them and despite her wounded hands, grabbed it tightly and began driving it into the floor. "I'll dig my way out. That's the only way. Just like the movies. They can't keep me here forever." The pencil broke piece by piece until the splinters left were too small to use. Jeff's arms wrapped tightly around her, pinning her own to her body and restraining her frantic movements. She tried to claw at the worn carpet with her hands, breaking fingernails and leaving tracks of blood in the brief instances of contact.

"Annie, please," he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her own to her body as she twitched back and forth. A crowd had gathered outside, summoned by the noise of the glass breaking and staying for the complete train wreck happening before their eyes. While no one really liked the so-called "Greendale Seven," no one disliked Annie, who despite her overly ambitious ways, usually went out of her way to be nice to people. They watched in shocked silence. No one laughed.

Tears clouded her vision as she continued twisting and turning to get out of Jeff's grip. He held on tight and refused to let go. "I'm here, Annie," he whispered in her ear. She visibly shivered. "I've got you, ki—" He stopped himself. What did she want to hear? Not kiddo, he could do better than that. Then it hit him. "I've got you, Milady." It seemed like that was the magic word, because she relaxed quickly.

"Milord?" She asked sinking into him. It seemed he had been waiting this long to exhale. Now, in this position, they could be cuddling on the floor. He could be wrapping his arms around her as he made a joke. It could be almost anything but what it was.

"I'm here," he replied smiling. "You're safe now."

"Help me," she whimpered, the tears falling more freely than ever. "I need you to help me. I'm so afraid. Will you protect me?"

"I will always protect you."

"They're coming to get me, just like before! I don't want to lose you!"

"You won't lose us, Annie. Not ever." She turned quickly to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he sat. He hugged her closer, rocking her back and forth. They continued in this vein for some time, until she suddenly leaned back and looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You have to let me go!" She screamed and struggled in his arms. Jeff clamped down on her to keep her from running away. "They're coming for me, and if you're with me, they'll get you too! I have to go." She cried, wriggling free of Jeff's arms. She began running toward the door, but was intercepted by Britta.

"Annie, I can't let you go any farther." Britta seemed determined and had settled her feet into a wide, solid stance, but Annie was not to be stopped.

"Get out of my WAY!" She threw Britta from the door with an unexpected amount of strength. But when she opened it, the dean was on the other side. While it was not unusual for the dean to show up in costume (in fact, anything else would be unusual), his poor timing in deciding to promote the mechanical engineering class's Battle Bots showdown would be lamented for years to come.

"What the dean is going on here?" he asked as he surveyed the half-destroyed room. He moved as if each joint was a hinge, and though the silver paint on his skin made him look more like the Tin Man than a robot, the effect on Annie was the same. He noticed her standing directly in front of him, wearing significantly less clothing than usual with blood dripping from her hands and an almost catatonic expression on her face. "Annie, are you alright?" She took several progressively deeper breaths then screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran for the other exit where Troy and Abed were waiting for her. Looking back and forth between the two doors, she finally settled her gaze on her bag sitting on the table. She took a flying leap and slid across the wooden surface before reaching in and pulling out a sharp pair of scissors.

The oxygen might as well have left the room.

"Annie," Jeff began slowly. "Annie, put down the scissors. Everything's going to be okay, just drop them."

"You can't protect me from this, Jeff." The group watched as they understood her fantasy. She was protecting her friend from the enemy. Sacrificing herself. If it had been real, it would have been beautiful. As it was, they could only watch in fear as she waved the sharp implement around with no concept of reality. She turned to the dean who seemed to be at a loss for words. "You got me last time. You chased me down and controlled me. But not this time," she cried. "I'll kill myself first! I will!" She held the scissors with trembling hands, pointing the blades at her stomach. "Then you can't have me. I'm in control. For once, I'll decide what happens to me!"

"Annie, no!" yelled Shirley. "Don't do it!" The group took turns pleading with her to drop the scissors, when Jeff noticed Abed sneaking up behind her. He added to the yelling to keep her distracted as Abed drew nearer. Then, in one swift movement, he reached around Annie and wrenched the scissors out of her hand. He couldn't help but notice the shallow cut it made across her stomach, but he had to admit the damage was less than she might have done to herself.

"Abed, why?" Annie cried out. She looked furious, but Abed smiled.

"So you know my name now?" Annie looked confused.

"Of course, Abed. I—" Her words stopped as her legs failed her and she collapsed on the ground. She looked up at the ceiling. "It's spinning. Everything's spinning." Seeing her small and vulnerable on the ground, Jeff made his way to her quickly.

"It's going to be okay, Annie. We've got you." He cradled her head in his lap and lightly brushed her hair out of her face.

"Jeff? I'm scared." Her voice sounded small and almost child-like. Her bloody hands clutched at her chest, as if she wanted to tear her own heart out. Slowly her eyes closed, and Jeff began to panic.

"Annie wake up! Wake up, Annie! Stay with me!" He yelled and slapped her cheeks, anything to get a reaction. Her eyelids fluttered, and her eyes didn't focus. He watched as lips he was intimately familiar with formed a small pout.

"I'm tired, just let me sleep for a little while longer," she mumbled. She could vaguely register wet drops falling from Jeff's face onto her own but couldn't lift her hand to wipe them away. She wanted so badly to see his face right now. She struggled to see it, but everywhere she looked was covered in a haze.

"No, Annie. You've got to be awake now," he urged, his voice thick with emotion. "We still haven't finished the history paper. And what about the debate, huh? You're not gonna let Simmons get the best of you, are you?" Her laugh in response was pathetic. He cupped her face tenderly as she finally let her eyes slide shut. The last noise she heard was Jeff begging her to stay awake and screaming for someone who knew CPR. All in all, if she had to go, she didn't mind that his voice was the last thing she would hear.

Only moments had passed after her descent into unconsciousness when the paramedics swooped in. As they lifted her onto the gurney and asked questions, Jeff couldn't stop his hands shaking. Abed was the most alert of the group and was thankfully able to give them rapid-fire answers to every inquiry. The assembled hordes parted as they pushed through, and Jeff thanked every god that may or may not exist that they didn't argue when he insisted on riding to the hospital in the ambulance.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Community. A/N at bottom.

Chapter 2

A full 24 hours had passed before Annie woke up again. She came to in a haze, briefly noting the weight on her side before being blinded by the brightness of everything around her. The room slowly came into focus and she recognized it as a hospital room. Her arms felt like lead as she lifted them to inspect her bandaged hands and her attempt to sit up resulted in a sharp discomfort around her stomach. Her head was spinning before it all came rushing back to her.

"Oh God," she cried out, breaking into sobs. She folded up her legs and brought them to her chest, determined to make herself as small as possible. Movement to her left caught her attention, and she turned to see Jeff Winger looking up at her with the most vulnerable but hopeful look on his face she had ever seen.

"Annie, thank God." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tucked his head into her shoulder, and joined her in crying. He was quiet, likely trying to at least pretend to be strong, but the dampness in the crook of her neck gave him away. She forcefully expelled the grief from her body in the form of tears, crying with abandon, and with every gasping sob, she felt herself grow lighter. Together they swayed back and forth until the crying slowed and their breathing approached normal. He quickly wiped his eyes before he looked at her again, but the signs were still there. They smiled at each other, and Annie fell back on her pillow with a sigh.

"Jeff? What the hell happened?" He smiled softly as he produced a tissue and began dabbing away the wetness on her face.

"We don't know. We were hoping you could answer that for us." She looked confused.

"We?"

"Gang's all here, Milady," he said with a smile. "Should I let them know you're awake?" She nodded and watched him stick his head out the door.

"She's awake, but you guys have to go easy on her, okay?" She could barely hear him say. Muffled tones of agreement reached her ears and she watched as her friends made their way into her small room.

"Hey guys." Her voice was timid, and she cringed as it cracked. It didn't seem to matter. As soon as she had spoken Shirley had burst into tears.

"Oh Annie, I'm so glad you're okay! I've been praying for you non-stop since it happened, and I know you don't care much for that, but I just wanted you to be alright!" Shirley leaned down to hug her, and Annie patted her back. She was glad she got to start with Shirley. Shirley was easy, and her warm, soft hug made her even lighter.

"Thank you for praying for me, Shirley. I know you do it because you care. I'm sorry I made you worry."

"I'm just glad you're okay," she sniffled, backing away from the bed to let Pierce step forward. His eyes were strained, as if he too had been crying, but he didn't let on.

"Well, Big Boobs, you surprised us all with that one!" The group protested but Annie couldn't help but laugh.

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Pierce," she said with a smile. He leaned down and gently held one of her injured hands in his own.

"You know if you need anything, you can come to me. You're like a daughter to me, Annie." Annie felt the tears building as she whispered out her thanks at the sincere, heartfelt offer from the normally obscene, guarded man. He dropped her hand and stepped aside as Abed moved forward.

"That was dark."

"I know, Abed. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I thought that the evil versions of ourselves had crossed over from the darkest timeline."

"Uh, what?"

"The darkest timeline. The one that was created at our housewarming party when Jeff rolled the die. I've encountered Evil Abed before, but I thought maybe Evil Annie had crossed over too. I could see the timeline getting darker. But now you're alive, so I guess they're gone."

"Alive? You thought I was going to die?" She looked around the room at the solemnly nodding faces of her friends and began to tear up. "I'm so sorry, you guys."

"It's okay, Annie. What are friends for?"

"Other than being attacked by other crazy friends experiencing manic paranoia and a complete disconnect with reality? I don't know," Annie laughed. Abed smiled as he backed away, and Annie's gaze fell on Britta. Her arm was in a sling, and Annie couldn't help but feel the guilt punch her deep in the gut.

"Britta, I am so—"

"Don't even say it, Annie. It's not your fault. I know that. I'm just sorry you had to go through all this." Britta leaned over and hugged Annie with her good arm. "Besides, it's not like it's broken. It's just a sprain. I'll be better in no time." Annie whispered her thanks and then searched the group again.

"Where's Troy?" The group parted to reveal him hiding behind Abed and Pierce. He looked up at her and he looked, well, the best word for it would be destroyed. "Troy, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" He asked in a disbelieving tone. "What's wrong? Annie, you almost died! I watched you go through everything you went through yesterday, and it was awful. My heart was _breaking_ for you. And then I remembered that you had gone through this before. Except last time, no one was there to help you. Last time I just stood and laughed like the biggest jerk in the world while you were going through all of that. I'm just—I'm so sorry." Annie's lips quivered as she held out her arms to him. He made his way to her slowly, and she wrapped them around him as tightly as she could, wishing with all her might that she could transmit good feelings via hugs.

"Troy, we were both a lot younger, and a lot stupider. We've gotten to know each other now, and I think you know that I love you." Two people in the room seemed to stiffen, but Annie continued. "You're like a brother to me, you and Abed. You're fun and always there, and we care about each other. I don't hold what happened back then against you, I promise I don't. I just hope you don't hold it against yourself either." When Troy pulled away from the hug, he was not crying (as predicted), but smiling.

"I love you too," he said quietly.

Annie turned to Jeff last and cupped his cheek in her hand. Her words to him were simple but sufficient.

"Thank you," she said looking earnestly into his eyes. He smiled back.

"Any time, Milady."

With Annie's well-being established and the good feelings that were currently floating in the room, it was only natural that Britta Britta'd it.

"Annie," she began softly, "I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but now's as good a time as any." Jeff sighed, and the air grew heavy with tension. Each study group member tried not to fidget, but their forced nonchalance was only made more obvious.

"Annie, we're here for you. We're your friends and just want the best for you. So we have to know—do you have any other pills?" Britta's tone was serious but her expression kind, but Annie knew things were about to get ugly.

"What?"

"The pills, Annie. We found the ones in your bag. Just tell us if there are any more maybe hidden in your apartment or a drawer in the study room?"

"But I never took any pills." She could tell Britta was skeptical but doing her best to seem unaffected.

"Annie, you had an Adderall overdose. The doctors confirmed it, and we found the pills in your bag. Now is the time to come clean, and we can start getting you better."

"I appreciate what you are trying to do, Britta, but I'm telling you, I never took any Adderall. I mean, I've been killing myself this past week with debate prep and the history paper, but it's nothing I haven't faced before. I promise you I haven't been taking them." Britta frowned.

"So the Adderall mysteriously appeared in your bloodstream and in your bag?"

"You don't have to believe me, Britta, but it's the truth." Her tone had turned biting, and Jeff reached over to calm her.

"Easy there, Annie, we're on your side." His attempts to placate her were working, but he couldn't resist throwing a pointed look Britta's way. "Do you have any idea how those pills would have gotten into your bag?"

"Where were they?"

"They were in the aspirin bottle, the one you kept taking pills from throughout the day," Abed said, tossing the bottle in question into her lap. She stared at the bottle unblinking, eyes wide as saucers. Jeff considered intervening when she popped off the lid, dumped a pill into her hand, and held it up to her eyes. Britta made a move to get the medicine away from her, but Jeff waved her off. Annie scrutinized the pill, inspecting every etching, and upon finding what she wanted to know, dropped it back in the bottle, sealed the lid, and tossed it back to Abed. She fell back on her pillow with a sigh.

"Those pills are Adderall alright. I must have been taking those all week. How could I not have noticed?"

"Annie," Britta began in what she thought was a therapist voice, "are you saying you didn't know you were taking Adderall?"

"I really didn't. I wouldn't go back down that road voluntarily, you know I wouldn't. Not after everything I lost last time. I bought this bottle at the drug store. I don't know how or why there is Adderall in it, but this is the first I'm learning of it."

"Didn't you notice that the pills were shaped differently? Or any side effects?"

"I've been so tired, Britta. And the headaches…taking these every 4 hours on the dot became second nature. I didn't even have to think about it. I never had any problems until yesterday."

"Annie, if you're saying that's what happened, we believe you. Abed said you hadn't shown any signs of using, but then yesterday…well, why don't you walk us through what you did yesterday including when you took those pills." She gave Jeff a slightly suspicious glance but decided to play along.

"Okay, well I woke up around 5:30 and took some aspirin first thing. I went running for a little while. I got back to the apartment at 6:30 and jumped in the shower. I dried my hair, straightened it, got dressed, put on makeup…ummm…made breakfast for the boys—"

"It was really good too," Troy chimed in. Annie squared her shoulders and smiled like she was pleased with herself, a sign she was hopefully getting back to normal.

"After that I drove to school and got there around 8:15. I stopped and picked up a mocha from Java Hut, then met Jeff to watch Simmons. Let's see, after that, we went to the study room to work on the paper, but then I realized I'd left my bag in the gym. I ran back and found Simmons messing with my stuff, so I grabbed it from him and returned to the study room. We worked through the paper, and I took some more around 9:30. Then I had Intro to Forensics. We watched an episode of CSI and the professor pointed out all the inaccuracies," she related with a giggle. "Then I had chemistry. We spent the entire class reviewing for our next test. I had free time until we met up for lunch, so I did some studying in the library. We ate lunch, I took some more pills, and then we split for afternoon classes. After that, I had my medical ethics class followed by administration of justice. Both were just lectures. I took lots of notes, but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary."

"You mean these notes?" Troy asked holding up her notebook, pages open to the previous day's entries.

"Yeah." She took a closer look when she realized that there was nothing but scribbling. Her copious notes were completely illegible, crammed and looped and rushed to the point that she couldn't tell where one class's notes ended and the next one's begun. "I didn't even realize," she admitted. "I was actually really proud of myself at the time, for powering through the tiredness and the headache to focus on my work." Britta's face was carefully blank. Pierce grabbed the notebook to get a look for himself.

"I don't see what the problem is here. Her handwriting's better than mine." This did nothing to assuage her worries, and from the far off look in her eyes, it was clear she was back to trying to remember the previous day.

"Well, after that, I got in some more studying before we met to finish up the history paper. I took another couple pills around 5:30. After that it was I guess it wasn't long before things got bad." She looked down at her hands and studied the pattern of the wrapped bandages as she mulled things over.

"Annie," Britta began again, "I know this is hard, but—"

"I'm not lying!" she screamed. The disturbance caused a nurse to poke her head in, but after assurances that everything was fine, she reluctantly moved on. Annie sighed and decided to stop counting the number of pitying glances Britta was throwing her way. Instead she turned to look at Jeff who in turn was looking at Abed.

"Abed," he began, "what do you know?" Though his face was as stoic as ever, he was clearly thinking very hard.

"Annie's telling the truth." He stated flatly. Britta huffed and rolled her eyes but otherwise stayed quiet.

"What's your theory?" Jeff asked. An almost imperceptible change crossed Abed's face as he switched into detective mode.

"Annie, you said you've been taking the aspirin all week?"

"Yeah, I've been having awful headaches."

"But yesterday was the first day you exhibited symptoms of Adderall use. In fact, your continued tiredness for most of this week could almost be considered proof that you hadn't taken any before yesterday, accidentally or otherwise."

"I guess."

"Annie, you said you left your bag in the gym, correct?"

"Yes."

"You said Simmons was messing with your things. What if he wasn't looking for debate notes? What if that was a cover story for the real crime?"

"And what's that?"

"That having been around Greendale long enough to observe certain habits, he knew you were tired and had been taking pain relievers. Maybe he knew you wouldn't look at the pills closely before taking them, maybe he expected that even if you did notice, you'd either give in to temptation, get in trouble for having them, or just plain freak out. It's my conclusion that whatever the intended effects, Jeremy Simmons switched out your aspirin for Adderall." Annie shook her head.

"Simmons is a jerk, but I can't imagine he'd go that far. I mean, sure he was going through my things and called me Annie Adderall again, and had lost to us twice already, and… oh my God." She gripped the sheets tightly as she considered the implications.

"I'll kill him." What she had expected to be Jeff's initial response turned out to be Troy's instead.

"Troy, calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? You could have _died_ Annie! You almost did! And now you're lying here, cut up, and having to relive one of the worst days of your life because of him! I don't care what happens so long as he pays!" Troy was prepared to storm out of the room, but Abed's arm reached out to stop him.

"You can't go to him. We don't have any proof."

"What if they dusted the pill bottle for fingerprints? Maybe he or his lackey left some. And can't they tell from blood work that she took a lot all at once and it hadn't built up over time? And you, and I'm sure others, saw him near your stuff. Surely—"

"Jeff, you know better. Annie's handled that bottle extensively since he would have touched it. Not to mention me and several others. The likelihood that there would be any usable prints left is very low. It wouldn't hurt to get it done anyway along with the blood work you mentioned, if it's even possible. But that's not enough to go on. All that evidence is circumstantial. We'll need an eye witness, video evidence or a confession to make anything stick." He sighed and nodded, returning his focus to the hand gently cradling Annie's. As the group sat in silence, Annie's mind worked at a mile a minute. There was a solution, she knew it! She just had to think this through. She was working out the details in her mind, everything was falling into place, when she realized the group sending her oddly apprehensive looks.

"Is there such a thing as an OD aftershock?" Troy asked Abed.

"I've not come across it in my studies. Maybe this is the first?"

"What are you guys talking about?"

"You just sort of seemed somewhere else for a little while, Annie," Britta told her, remaining as reserved as possible. "It just concerned us a bit."

"Oh," Annie responded quietly before a smile split her face and she started laughing. It was her usual laugh, complete with what Abed described as pig-like snorts. "Sorry guys," she apologized as she saw the worried looks overtake their faces again. "It's just—I have a plan."

A/N: Thanks to robert3A-SN, Alina, shippersgonnaship and Gloxinia for the reviews on the first chapter! After doing the research on Adderall dosages (and filling my search history with things like "how to drug someone" and "fatal dosage of Adderall" which will surely never come back to haunt me), I decided to go with the method mentioned above. The amount Annie took would qualify as an overdose by any standards, but the threshold for fatality is a lot higher. The next chapter is the big climax and will go up Sunday night. Think of the scene at the end of an 80s movie. Thank you so much for reading and please continue reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still not owning Community.

Chapter 3

Despite the last minute notice and strange circumstances, the dean was able to push back the debate another week. Apparently a little known statute allowed at least one postponement per season, and if he wanted to keep Greendale's one winning team in business, he'd have to call it in. City College was loathe to give up their advantage, but knowing they couldn't fight it, they chose to use the extra time to prep.

When Annie was released from the hospital, she went home to two very attentive roommates who stepped up to take care of her. She slept much more than usual and seemed crankier, but they supplied her with buttered noodles, her school assignments, and much-needed levity. Jeff had also fallen into the habit of visiting her every day to study for the debate and check up on her. He often stayed until she fell asleep and carefully relocated her to her own bed, comforting himself in the knowledge that she was okay.

The day before the debate she was still experiencing a small amount of fatigue but decided it was time to show her face at Greendale again. She skipped her morning run in favor of an extra hour of sleep, but carefully prepared that morning to look as "Annie" as possible. Her hair was immaculate, her makeup lightly and precisely applied, and her skirt wrinkle-free. "You can do this," she said to her reflection. "You are better than this, and your friends will be there to help." She had pumped herself up before using similar words, but she couldn't help but release a tiny happy giggle as she realized the part she added about her friends.

When Annie left her bedroom to prepare breakfast, she was greeted by a huge spread on the table. Eggs, bacon, waffles and orange juice artfully arranged on sparkling plates on a crisp white tablecloth. A lovely bouquet of lavender, lilies, and orchids stood proudly in a crystal vase in the center of it all. "You guys," she began as she looked up to thank her boys but instead saw the entire study group beaming at her. Despite her best efforts she teared up a little. "You guys," she tried again as her voice shook with emotion.

"Well, I didn't make all this food for myself," Shirley insisted. "You need to eat a good breakfast for your first day back, so why don't you take a seat and we can all get started." Annie nodded and the group descended into their usual camaraderie. This was her favorite part of the day. Being with all of them.

They carpooled to school that morning, and Jeff even let her choose the radio station as she rode shotgun. She decided to forgo her usual Top 40 fare and settled on a good sing-along classic rock station that got everyone in the car in a good mood. Jeff maneuvered his car into a tiny parking space as they sang the last notes of a Janis Joplin number, and when the engine turned off and the music with it, Annie was hit with a wave of anxiety.

Everyone had seen her breakdown. They all knew. All of them. She couldn't tell them that Simmons did it, at least not until they had proof. She had been crazy and not in a hot way. They were going to make fun of her, she knew it. She hadn't heard them laughing but she'd seen their eyes. Neil, Vicki, Garrett, Todd, even that awful Meghan had watched her clawing at carpets and threatening to stab herself with a pair of scissors. What was she going to do? The air seemed thinner and thinner, and she took deeper breaths to compensate, when she felt a reassuring hand on her arm.

"It's going to be okay, Annie. They love you here. And so do we." Jeff's eyes met hers and she could watch her reflection's panicked breathing slow. While she was regaining focus, he quickly hopped out of the car and ran around to her side to open the door for her. "Milady," he said, offering his hand. She smiled.

"Milord."

They walked arm in arm to the campus, and Annie could feel her skin prickling from the number of eyes she could feel watching her.

"Good to have you back, Annie," Vicki said in passing, eliciting a grin.

"Annie, you're back! Kick City College's butt tomorrow!" Todd offered with a thumbs up.

"Oh hey, Annie," Neil greeted as he walked by. Annie thought she might cry.

Jeff leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I told you, Annie. We all love you." They had almost made it to the classroom before they heard the unmistakable clacking of Meghan's heels coming towards them. Annie sighed and turned to face her.

"Well, well, well," she said with a sneer, "look who's back." She eyed Annie as if she were a bug and Annie felt like she was actually shrinking. She took a moment as if inwardly debating what to say. "Your outfit looks like somebody decided to take a private school uniform and make it even frumpier. Congrats on that." With a flick of her hair, she turned and walked away, but Annie was grinning widely. Jeff gave her a confused look.

"Why do you look so happy?"

"She was the same way she always is. If she really wanted to hurt me, she would have brought up my meltdown. She was just letting me know that she didn't pity me but that she thought it was off-limits. It's actually a really nice gesture."

"Sure," he mumbled. "Look, we do have a class to get to, so why don't we get a move-on, okay?" Annie nodded and giggled happily, bouncing on her toes for good measure.

By the end of the day, Annie marveled at how supportive the campus had been. Garrett had probably been the least couth of them, but that was because his shrill voice and less than subtle references to a "crisis" that "didn't happen" generated a number of transparent attempts at recovering the conversation by her more sympathetic friends using circuitous logic that ended up making every interaction a major production. The dean had arranged an impromptu puppy parade that the study group actually got to attend, and although she loved cuddling the tiny pug in her arms, she thought watching her friends playing and cooing with them was the best part. She noticed Jeff in particular seemed reluctant to let the tiny Westie he'd been holding go. The sky darkened and she and Jeff headed back to her apartment. She thanked her lucky stars that she had thought enough ahead to pre-prepare meals. All that she had to do now was dump the mixture of chicken, veggies and sauces into a foil packet and slip it into the oven. Jeff was kind enough to forgive her incessant yawning as they waited for the food to cook, and they discussed the plan for tomorrow once more. If all went according to plan, by the end of tomorrow they would have an arrest and a win for Greendale.

A buzzer sounded and Jeff served the food for them. Annie had trouble keeping from falling asleep in her dinner, so when she lost the battle later during another last-minute run over their debate plans, Jeff carried her to her bed as had become habit. He watched her deep, even breathing and recalled without difficulty a time when it had seemed like she might not again. He swallowed the unpleasant feeling and rewarded his reserve with a soft kiss to her forehead.

"G'night, Milady," he said, turning off the light and closing the door.

"The topic for today's debate is drug legalization," a plain woman in plainer clothes announced. "Greendale will be arguing for legalization, City College against. City College will begin with their opening statement." Jeff and Annie watched as Simmons wheeled to the center of the stage and began expounding on the dangers of drugs. Annie's eyes skimmed the audience, noting that for once, both sides were packed. Obviously this was a point of contention for City College, and the Greendale students wanted to support Annie and their only winning team.

"We got this," Jeff whispered. "Just remember the plan." Annie smirked.

"Oh, I will." As Simmons finished, Jeff stood and walked to the center of the stage.

"My opponent has made some fine points about the dangers of drugs, but I'd like to ask you this: what do you think causes more damage? Drugs? Or the war against them?" He went on to briefly cite prison statistics, gang violence, and addicts' fear of recrimination as major points of interest. And as he sat down, the real fun started.

Simmons countered with a very graphic list of potential side effects of drugs and how it affects people's behavior, but Annie followed up with the claim that the stigma surrounding drugs, because they were illegal, actually incentivized people to try them and kept them from getting help when they wanted to quit. Next came an impassioned plea. "What about the children?" Jeff thankfully had some great anecdotes from his time as a lawyer about kids whose futures were ruined because of drug-related sentences. Simmons made it a public safety issue which led Annie to make gang violence a public safety issue directly caused by the criminalization of drugs. Simmons seemed to be sweating and launched into a description of a world where drug use was rampant. This was right up Jeff's alley, and after his emotional speech about freedom and the pursuit of happiness and what it means to be an American, the judges placed Greendale far ahead. Jeff and Annie knew things were about to get real.

Simmons made his way towards Annie and placed his clammy palm on her cheek. "My opponent, Miss Edison, is a very bright student, probably one of the brightest Greendale has ever had. She has life and youth and beauty and promise."

"Are you proposing or debating?" Pierce yelled from the audience. A dull rumble of agreement followed his words. It seemed like everyone knew where this was going.

"I apologize if it seems like a non-sequitur, but it is relevant. It is all too heartbreakingly relevant to this debate, because last Thursday, Miss Edison here overdosed on Adderall." A roar of objection surged from the Greendale side of the audience, and Annie's hand hid her face as if in shame. "I know, you all feared her loss, but thanks to the good doctors she had access to, she is with us today. Miss Edison almost died because of drugs, and this wasn't her first struggle with them. No, her addiction was what brought her to Greendale as a result of losing a scholarship and a bright future at Yale." Jeff turned to her in surprise and she answered with a half-hearted shrug. "These are the kind of people drugs destroy. They take a smart young woman, destroy her future and even take her life. I think we need more people like Miss Annie Edison in the world, don't you?"

The audience was split, as anticipated, but Annie had known they wouldn't make it through the debate without her episode coming up. She was prepared. She sauntered to the center of the stage and refused to let Simmons' words shake her.

"I have to confess that I am as flattered by your speech as I am confused by it. My opponent claims to know me and my circumstances, yet he has clearly misunderstood the course of events that led me to where I am today. It's true, I took Adderall in high school in an effort to improve my performance. I was a child, and my judgment was flawed. And yet, it was not my manic episode that lost me a scholarship. It was the stigma surrounding it. I've never told anyone this, but I did try to reach out for help before I went spiraling out of control. I confided in a teacher, who told me that if I ever wanted to get into college I would never bring it up again. Then even after the dust had cleared after my breakdown, I was not a _victim_ of addiction. I was my own person. And _I_ made the decision to go to rehab on my own. And guess what? It was the stigma surrounding drugs that led my mother to disown me. It wasn't the meltdown. It was the fact that I chose to go to rehab that drove us apart, because that would let out the secret and she couldn't bear the shame. She couldn't bear the shame that you create when you criminalize what someone does with their own body. So I say again, the stigma is what led me to lose all contact from my family, lose all financial support, and end up here at Greendale. And despite what you say, Simmons, my future is far from destroyed. If anything it is brighter than ever thanks to the lessons I've learned and the people I've met while here. So don't use me as your cautionary tale, because I am still here and I am better than ever!"

The crowd cheered as she finished and Abed looked like he might explode. This was a great movie finale. Throw in a short conversation followed by a kiss, and it would match anything he could have directed. Then he frowned. There were still loose ends. Annie was still glowing as she ran back to her seat and gave Jeff a tight hug. When she heard the slow clap from behind her though, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and turn to face Simmons.

"That was truly a moving speech, you are an inspiration to us all. The reason you are an inspiration, however, is that this kind of triumph over addiction is rare. And while I admire your positive outlook for the future, you went from an Ivy League education to the _second-best_ community college in your community. And you seem to be forgetting how you were fighting for your life only a week ago. But as much as you insist that you're not a victim of drugs, you seem ready and willing to become a victim of the so-called stigma caused by drugs. You are willing to blame the collapse of your future on it. You would have lost that scholarship by going to rehab whether or not it occurred before or after your meltdown. And as cruel as it sounds, if your mother cared more about her reputation than you, she clearly didn't love you." A gasp rang throughout the audience as the Greendale side began booing in earnest. "The truth hurts, people, and if Annie Edison has been living a lie all these years, telling herself it's the criminalization of drugs not the drugs themselves that are the problem, she is more likely to relapse, as we saw last week."

His smug expression indicated his confidence that the points had stuck even if they had a poor audience reception. Jeff squeezed her hand gently, carefully avoiding the still tender places he could map out in his head by now. Annie lifted her chin and walked proudly to the microphone, refusing to let her opponent's words rankle her.

"The truth hurts, indeed. Perhaps it's true, as my opponent says, that my mother never loved me. The pressure she placed on me was what drove to take drugs in the first place. But we live in an imperfect world and we are imperfect people. There are so many obstacles that we have to face to have healthy relationships with our fellow human beings." She could see the dean clapping quietly to himself at the name drop. "If we condemned ourselves and each other every time we failed one of these trials, where would we be? One obstacle can make all the difference, so do we really want to continue allowing this to be one?" She paused to let her points sink in. "Mr. Simmons addressed my most recent overdose, and I would like to give you some more details, so you can make a truly informed decision on what the cause was. In the week leading up to this debate, I decided I would take Adderall again on a temporary basis to get me through it. I bought it off a stranger based on a friend's referral and took my very first one on the day I had my episode. Unfortunately, there is no quality control on illegal drugs, no assurance that everything is what a dealer says it is, and the amount in that one pill, far exceeding a standard dose, caused me to overdose. It was the criminalization, the restricted nature of the drug that led to me almost losing my life."

"You're lying!" Simmons accused her. Jeff gave him a strange look.

"You weren't even there, what do you know?" Simmons seemed to puff up.

"Of course I was there, I was practicing here in the gym. You even came in and saw me!"

"Well yeah, but I mean you weren't in the room when it happened. You have no way of knowing what really went down. Annie's telling the truth."

"Of course I know how it went down, I made it go down!" He yelled. "Her overdose wasn't caused by the lack of standards resulting from a drug's criminalization! I switched out her aspirin with Adderall when she wasn't looking. Based on the reaction, they were exactly the right dosage, so you can't say that criminalization caused that!" The room had fallen silent as the judges' mouths dropped and his brain seemed to finally catch up with his mouth.

"Simmons is right. I'm lying. The truth is I left my bag unattended in the gym and when I returned I saw Simmons and his friend messing with my stuff. I took it back and over the course of the day ingested 6 Adderall pills, mistaking them for aspirin and culminating in my overdose. We just didn't have any proof it was you until now." The crowd was in an uproar. Greendale looked like they were about to start a riot, while City College seemed pretty ready to lynch Simmons. "By the way, I think there are some people here to talk to you," Annie added pointing at the police officers who had been sitting on the sidelines and finally had what they needed to make an arrest. Simmons tried to wheel his way off the stage but with the cops blocking the only ramp, he knew it was hopeless. As he slumped defeated in his chair, Annie tried to feel sorry for him, but couldn't quite bring herself to do it.

She watched dispassionately as they escorted him off the stage. It was done. Everyone knew the truth now, but she couldn't help but relish the fact that they still liked her, even when they thought she had taken drugs of her own volition. The vindication was overwhelming. It felt like she had slain every dragon in her past in one fell swoop. Her eyes took in the smiling faces of her friends before she seemed to remember that she was on stage. The judges were still looking at her expectantly, so she approached the microphone once more.

"Greendale," she said tearfully, "saved my life." A cheer went up and she could vaguely register the dean cursing the fact that he wasn't recording this for use in a commercial later. "Because Greendale is a place for flawed people. Greendale looks past the stigma, because they've all been a victim of it in some way or another. It's what made my friend Abed research signs of drug abuse, so that if I was ever in trouble he could help me." She found Abed in the audience and gave him a watery smile. "And he did. It's what made my friends stay with me when I was going crazy and offer to fight my demons with me. It's what made my classmates and fellow students show kindness and understanding when I dared show my face again, even when they thought I had done it to myself. If I had been anywhere but Greendale, who knows what would have happened. But I'm not. I'm here, with my flawed friends and classmates in quite possibly the only place free from the taint of the stigma that led me here. The connection we share is greater than the school we go to or the study groups we're in. It's in the shared mistakes in our history. It's in the secrets we're ashamed to let out and every time we're accepted in spite of them. We are not strangers wandering through the same halls, passing judgment and seeking out flaws. We are fellow Human Beings!"

She finished with a cry and her fist in the air, and the crowd went wild in return. Off in the corner, she watched the dean weeping into a spotted handkerchief. She saw Vicki grab Neil's face and kiss him while Meghan perfected the art of clapping while apathetic. Britta and Shirley were hugging each other, jumping up and down, and she assumed from the blank smile on Abed's face that she had impressed him. Pierce had turned to Garrett and she could almost make out the words "That's my girl!" as he pointed to her. Once again, she felt like her heart would explode, but this time in a good way. She turned to see Jeff, standing and clapping for her, pausing only to give her a thumbs up. He kept his distance and allowed her a moment to bask in the applause. Then she heard a chant building in the crowd.

"An-nie Ad-der-all! An-nie Ad-der-all!" Troy was leading the chant, jumping up and down and waving his arms, feeding off the energy of the crowd. A large barking laugh unlike any she'd made before escaped her. Of course Greendale would do this. It was mortifying and freeing at the same time. They loved her at her most flawed. That was the message here. She smiled and bowed before making her way back to Jeff. They hugged tightly then turned to look at the judges.

Most of City College had left around the time the debate had turned into a Greendale pep rally, but the winner had not been announced. It seemed like a foregone conclusion, but the judges still took time (brief as it was) to consult each other before arriving at a decision.

"Due to the fact that City College tried to murder one of Greendale's debaters and Greendale was ahead anyway, the judges agree Greendale wins!"

Annie squealed as she heard the announcement and threw her arms around Jeff. He spun her around as the Greendale students stampeded toward the stage. In seconds, Annie had been tossed atop a mosh pit and was being carried down the hall to cheers and shouts of congratulations. She could just turn her head enough to see Britta and Troy making out furiously and Shirley hitting Pierce with her purse as he tried to do the same with her. Abed was still taking it all in, eyes full of wonder, and when she strained her neck to turn around, she could still just barely see Jeff standing on the stage alone, watching her carried away with a smile on his face.

A/N: Was it as good for you as it was for me? I was really nervous about this chapter because it is way over the top, but I smiled the entire time I was writing it. Thank you to JeffandAnnie1998, Gloxinia, shippersgonnaship, and robert3A-SN for the reviews! There's one more chapter to go that will tie up some loose ends for you. I'm thinking about putting it up Thursday morning to get excited about the finale that night!


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I have not acquired the rights to Community since Sunday…despite my best efforts.

Epilogue

The study room that afternoon seemed lighter than normal, although that could have been the new carpet. Pierce was leaning on his sexist jokes more than the racist or homophobic ones, something that everyone appreciated...or at the very least tolerated. Britta and Troy were making googly eyes, but the goodwill in the air had even led Britta to lean on Abed's shoulder from time to time. He couldn't bring himself to mind, as he was still too in awe over the events of the day to care. Shirley had brought brownies, and for once, everyone was too happy to fight her on her motivations behind bringing them. Instead they dug in, even asking for seconds, while laughing and re-enacting the debate's more memorable moments. Troy and Abed were in rare form, and Abed delighted the group by roleplaying each different character with impressive accuracy. Annie and Jeff continued sneaking glances and smiles while enjoying the companionship of the group and, of course, the delicious brownies.

Their time together was fun but finite, and everyone disappointedly agreed when Britta pointed out the time and suggested they all go home. As they slowly made their way to their cars, ready to leave the drama of the day behind, Shirley turned to Annie and asked her a question that had been on her mind all day.

"Annie," she began sweetly, "do you really think that all your problems with your mom and school were because drugs are illegal?" Annie laughed but the rest of the group looked curious for an answer as well.

"Of course not, I'm a grown woman. I know how to take responsibility for my own actions. And I know my mom's a bitch. That's not a bridge I'm looking to rebuild anytime soon. Debate's not about believing what you're arguing. It's about making other people believe it. I was just twisting everything around to win." Jeff watched as she laughed again, her mouth wide and her eyes alight with mischief. The setting sun cast a warm glow across her skin and it seemed each strand of hair shimmered independent of the others. It took him a moment to realize he had stopped walking and was staring at her.

"Jeff," she asked as she turned to him. "Are you okay?" He took a moment before he closed the distance between them in two long strides, pulled her body to his, and kissed her for all he was worth. It had been years since he had felt her like this. The small of her back and the softness of her hair and the absolute joy of her lips on his. In turn she seemed to shiver under his hands while grasping at his back almost desperately. She wanted this. She wanted this as much as he did, and after years of will-they or won't-they, after all his objections fell by the wayside, after almost losing her forever, he was ready to give it to her. He pulled away slowly, reluctantly, and brushed a stray hair out of her face. He could see the affection, hope and lust in her eyes, and when he willed with all his might that she might see the same in his, the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

A/N: A much shorter chapter, and the last! So many people mentioned waiting for the Jeff/Annie kiss that I almost felt bad that they thought they might not get it. Thank you so much to tvlover84, Hypnotoad76, Gloxinia, robert3A-SN, and anonymous guest reviewer for your reviews on the last chapter!

I decided to wait until I finished this story before posting it, because I get so frustrated by unfinished stories, especially when I get hooked! This story's reception has really made me more confident about my writing and publishing new stories going forward. I currently have 22 unfinished or unrefined Community stories languishing on my desktop, so I hope to have more to post soon, but who knows? Also, if anyone has some interesting prompts specific to the Community fandom (I already check out Milady/Milord on livejournal but any other lists/links are welcome), please let me know! No promises, but I love new ideas.

Everyone get excited for the finale tonight! I can't actually get NBC (no cable and poor antenna reception), but if you can watch it live, please do. I know I'll be participating in the hash mobs on Twitter and logging on to Hulu first thing Friday morning. I will go down with this ship!

Lastly, much love (once again) to Crittab and robert3A-SN! Thanks for helping me publish my first fan fic in years!


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